Via the LAT: Boko Haram has grown stronger, more lethal and even less compromising Boko Haram was blamed for recent twin suicide bombings in Kano: one carried out by an 11-year-old girl, and a market bombing in Yola that killed 34. The extremist group was responsible for 6,644 deaths in 2014, a 300% increase from the […]

…take a look over at the BBC: Zimbabwe dollars phased out. Zimbabwe is phasing out its local currency, the central bank says, formalising a multi-currency system introduced during hyper-inflation. Foreign currencies like the US dollar and South African rand have been used for most transactions since 2009. Local dollars are not used except high-denomination notes […]

Via Foreign Policy: On First Annual Constitution Day, China’s Most Censored Word Was ‘Constitution’ On Dec. 4, China’s first annual Constitution Day, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Dailyposted the complete text of the Chineseconstitution to its Weibo microblogging account, accompanied by the upbeathashtag: “Let’s all read the Constitution!” The easy-to-read attachment included each constitutional article — including […]

While it has largely disappeared from the headlines in the United States, the Ebola crisis continues in Sierra Leone: While health officials say they are making headway against the Ebola epidemic in neighboring Liberia, the disease is still raging inSierra Leone, despite the big international push. In November alone, the World Health Organization has reported […]

There appears to be some good news on one of the main fronts in the fight against Ebola: WASHINGTON — The international response to West Africa’s Ebolaepidemic, coupled with more effective action by local communities, has stopped the exponential spread of the disease in one of the hardest-hit countries, Liberia, the director of the Centers […]

The Vice-President of Zimbabwe has been implicated in a plot to kill Robert Mugabe, the authoritarian ruler of that nation since the minority white government of what used to be Rhodesia gave up power: The deputy president of Zimbabwe has been linked to a plot to assassinate the country’s premier Robert Mugabe, according to a […]

A suicide bomber has killed at least 50 at a Nigerian school: A suicide bomber dressed as a student infiltrated the morning assembly at a high school in northern Nigeria on Monday and detonated explosives in a backpack, killing almost 50 students and teachers, according to news reports. Although there was no immediate claim of […]

The leader of Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram says that all of the schoolgirls it kidnapped earlier this year are married off, presumably to much older men: MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — With a malevolent laugh, the leader of Nigeria’s Islamic extremists tells the world that more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls have all been converted to […]

Via the BBC: Army backs new Burkina Faso leader Isaac Zida Burkina Faso army chiefs have backed a military officer as transitional president. In a statement, the army said Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida was “chosen unanimously to lead the transition period”. This appears to end confusion over who has succeeded President Blaise Compaore, who stood […]

Two different leaders are claiming to be the leader of Burkina Faso after a military coup: Two military leaders have made competing claims that they’re in charge of Burkina Faso after unrest that led to the resignation of the West African nation’s longtime president. Both the nation’s top military chief, Gen. Honore Nabere Traore, and […]

Via the BBC: Burkina Faso parliament set ablaze. The conflict is over an attempt to amend the constitution to allow the long-standing president to run for re-election: Protesters angry at plans to allow Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore to extend his 27-year-rule have set fire to parliament. […] Mr Compaore first took power in a […]

While politicians in the United States worry about a grand total of one active Ebola cases in the United States, this chart from German Lopez at Vox shows that the disease continues on the march in western Africa: There are some indications that, at the very least, the worst case scenarios that W.H.O. and other […]

The World Health Organization has upped the number of people known to be infected with Ebola in Africa to over 10,000: GENEVA — The number of people infected with Ebola in three West African countries has exceeded 10,000, the World Health Organization reported Saturday. A total of 10,141 people had contracted the disease worldwide, the […]

Via the BBC we find that : 1) Nigeria has been declared Ebola free Nigeria has been declared officially free of Ebola after six weeks with no new cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. WHO representative Rui Gama Vaz, speaking in the capital Abuja, said it was a "spectacular success story". Nigeria won praise […]

The Nigerian Government says it is hopeful that the schoolgirls who were kidnapped earlier this year by Boko Haram will be free early next week: Campaigners calling for the release of over 200 Nigerian schoolgirls have said they are “cautiously optimistic” about a reported ceasefire between the government and al-Qaeda-linked militants that would include the […]

Following in the footsteps of Nigeria, Senegal is the latest nation in Africa to beat back the spread of Ebola from the “hot zone” countries in the western part of the continent: GENEVA — The World Health Organization declared the West African nation of Senegal to be free of Ebola on Friday, a rare success […]

Public health officials in Sierra Leone are admitting that the Ebola epidemic in that country is spreading faster than they are able to respond to it: FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Acknowledging a major “defeat” in the fight against Ebola, international health officials battling the epidemic in Sierra Leone approved plans on Friday to help families […]

With various reports describing the nation in near collapse, Liberia is canceling its national elections as Ebola continues to ravage the nation: Monrovia (AFP) – Ebola-hit Liberia has suspended nationwide elections in the latest measure to combat an epidemic which has shut down society in three west African nations, restricting travel and forcing the cancellation […]

The Centers For Disease Control has a particularly grim forecast for Africa’s ongoing Ebola epidemic: Yet another set of ominous projections about the Ebola epidemic in West Africa was released Tuesday, in a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that gave worst- and best-case estimates for Liberia and Sierra Leone based on […]

The entire nation of Sierra Leone is essentially on lockdown due to the ongoing Ebola epidemic: FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — The most ambitious and aggressive government campaign against the Ebola epidemic gripping parts of West Africa began on Friday when Sierra Leone ordered everyone in the country to remain indoors for three days, suspending commerce, […]

The Ebola epidemic in western Africa continues to spread: LONDON — As West African nations grapple with the worst-ever outbreak of the Ebola virus, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the death toll had exceeded 1,200 and announced increased efforts to forestall hunger in areas isolated by quarantine measures. The figure offered a […]

Via the BBC: Egypt court bans Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing Dissolving the Freedom and justice Party (FJP) was expected. The political wing of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement can no longer compete in the next parliamentary elections, expected to be held before the end of this year. Its members can run either as individual candidates […]

With one of the Americans infected with the Ebola virus headed for Emory University’s hospital as we speak, we have reached the first time that a disease that has ravaged Africa in the past is being knowingly brought to North America. By all accounts, the steps that medical professionals are taking to ensure that the […]

A court in Uganda has declared that country’s controversial law against homosexuality, which has drawn widespread international condemnation, is unconstitutional: Uganda’s Constitutional Court has annulled tough anti-gay legislation signed into law in February. It ruled that the bill was passed by MPs in December without the requisite quorum and was therefore illegal. Homosexual acts were already […]

Late yesterday, we learned that a contingent of about 80 marines is headed to Chad to aid in the ongoing search for more than 230 Nigerian schoolgirls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram nearly six weeks ago: WASHINGTON — The United States has sent 80 troops to Chad in Central Africa to support a growing […]

Last week, I noted that we had reached the two week point since the kidnapping of 234 Nigerian schoolgirls and there had been little or no reporting on the story in the American media. Since that point, I have been happy to see the story receiving coverage on CNN and other networks, as well as […]

The President of Uganda has signed into law a bill that places severe criminal penalties on homosexuals: LONDON — Brushing aside Western threats and outrage, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda significantly strengthened Africa’s antigay movement on Monday, signing into law a bill imposing harsh sentences for homosexual acts, including life imprisonment in some cases, according […]

Via the BBC: Egypt referendum: ‘98% back new constitution’ Egypt’s referendum on a new constitution has been backed by 98.1% of people who voted, officials say. Turnout was 38.6% of the more than 50-million eligible voters, the election committee said. I must confess, I am a tad skeptical about any result that takes days to […]

Via the BBC: Egypt referendum: Vote under way amid tight security. The post-Mubarak era continues to muddle through to establish a new consolidated set of rules under which to govern, with the military continuing to be the central player in Egyptian politics. I have not reviewed the proposed new charter, although press accounts indicate that […]

Once again, an award meant to highlight good governance on the continent of Africa goes to nobody: LONDON — For the fourth time in five years, a prestigious multimillion-dollar prize offered to African leaders for good governance went unawarded on Monday, renewing questions about the stringency of its rules, the paucity of contenders and the […]

This map and comparison (via io9) is pretty awesome, because it really provides a better view of the size of the African continent than go most maps, which due to the nature of standard projections makes the northern hemisphere look larger than it is (and conversely makes the southern hemisphere look too small). I seen […]

Via the BBC: US and UK concern over Zimbabwe election results The US and UK have expressed concern after official results from Zimbabwe’s elections gave President Robert Mugabe a seventh term in office amid claims of electoral fraud. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the results did not "represent a credible expression of the […]

Via the BBC: Zimbabwe election was ‘huge farce’ – Morgan Tsvangirai. Mr Tsvangirai spoke shortly after the monitors from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) said the poll was "seriously compromised". In a statement, the ZESN said that potential voters were turned away from 82% of polling stations in urban areas, where support for Mr […]

Via the BBC: Egypt prepares for rival Ramadan protests Supporters and opponents of the ousted Egyptian Islamist President Mohammed Morsi are preparing to stage large rallies in Cairo on the first Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan. Mr Morsi’s supporters are gathering in their thousands in the east of the city to call for […]

Jonathan M. Powell of Nazarbayev University has some thoughts on Egypt’s Coup which includes a quick survey of political science literature on the subject of coups. He includes this rather straightforward definition that is pretty much in alignment with the one I offered earlier today: Different scholars might be interested in different research questions, and […]

Whatever the news media may be reporting I believe that the anger at Mohamed Morsi that lead to Egypt’s military ousting him was primarily due to economic factors. Egypt has a trade deficit of about $30 billion per year, about 14% of Egypt’s economy. Egypt’s primary sources of foreign exchange are, in descending order, remittances […]